New National Abortion Hotline Data Shows Devastating Impact of Florida 6-Week Ban

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
July 29, 2024 
CONTACT: Claire Connolly, naf@berlinrosen.com 

The National Abortion Federation tracks how many people were served in Florida through their Hotline before the 6-week ban, and how many have been forced  to leave the state for care after 

NATIONAL – Today, the National Abortion Federation (NAF) released data from their National Abortion Hotline, the country’s largest patient assistance fund for abortion, that shows the staggering effect of Florida’s 6-week abortion ban after going into effect. 

In the two months after going into effect, there was a 575% increase in people who the Hotline supported to travel out of the state for care, compared to the same time in 2023. In anticipation of this increased demand, the Hotline quickly scaled capacity and built infrastructure for travel coordinators in Florida to help patients access care throughout the region. 

Until we see the results of November’s ballot initiative that could enshrine abortion rights in the Florida state constitution, the National Abortion Federation expects similarly high levels of demand. In 2023, the National Abortion Hotline funded care for 17,255 patients in Florida, more than any other state with about 16% of all people funded by the Hotline getting care in Florida. Florida has been an important access hub for the southeast and now many abortion seekers will be forced to travel further out of the region to states without harmful restrictions to access care. 

The demand for patience assistance funds has dramatically increased since the Dobbs decision, as more state bans, especially ones like Florida’s, are enacted. The National Abortion Hotline runs the largest patient assistance fund in the country and despite having the largest budget it’s ever had, it cannot sustain the current funding level for the rest of the year. The entire abortion access landscape is reeling as patient assistance resources dwindle and it keeps getting harder for millions of people to access the critical care they want and need.

“Florida’s six-week ban has already had a devastating impact on abortion patients  in the state and throughout the Southeast,” said Brittany Fonteno, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation. “Our National Abortion Hotline has seen a tremendous increase in people forced to leave Florida and travel for care to clinics in the Northeast and other parts of the country. Florida was an essential lifeline in the South, where most states have severely restrictive or total abortion bans, and with its six-week ban in effect, accessing care in the region is more time-consuming and expensive. The ban also disproportionately impacts people who already struggle to access health care, like Black and Brown people, people living in rural areas, and those with lower incomes and less resources. People want the freedom to make their own medical decisions without government interference and we expect Floridians to make that clear this November.” 

“Every day, we speak to patients who are now forced to travel out of state to access abortion care–care we would have been able to provide them locally just a few months ago,” said Ellen, who works at an abortion clinic in south Florida. “It is heartbreaking to have to turn these patients away and send them on a long and expensive journey. We will not stop fighting until all people in Florida can access the health care they need.”

The National Abortion Federation is committed to reproductive freedom for everyone, regardless of who they are, where they live, or how much money they have. The National Abortion Hotline (1-800-772-9100) can help callers understand their abortion options and provide limited financial assistance.

If you would like to set up an interview with Brittany Fonteno or Ellen about the effect of Florida’s abortion ban or the National Abortion Hotline, please reach out to naf@berlinrosen.com.